LOS ANGELES, May 14, 2011
Dear Chef Mary,
I love peanut butter and am looking for some healthy recipes to use
it in. Any suggestions?
Jessica, Milwaukee
Dear Jessica,
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is a classic favorite, and can be mixed and matched in tons of exciting and healthy ways. When I was a kid, my favorite was peanut butter and honey. As an adult, I’m crazy about peanut butter and raspberry jam on wheat bread. The great thing about peanut butter is it can be used in both savory and sweet dishes.
Peanut butter and pretzels
Grab a delicious bag of whole grain pretzels (about 12-15 pretzels depending on the size) and combine it with one tablespoon of creamy peanut butter.
Peanut butter and bananas
Plain and simple, add peanut butter to bananas. The trick is to get the portion size correct. Half a banana and one tablespoon of peanut butter is the perfect snack. Throw the leftover banana in a Ziploc bag, and place it in the freezer for a smoothie at another time.
Pita peanut butter strawberry sandwiches
Pita bread is delicious; whole wheat pita (half) is even better. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter in the pita pocket, and add delicious strawberries for extra sweet flavor (1 to 2 strawberries).
Thai peanut sauce
Thai peanut sauce is a great way to add a kick of flavor to plain chicken. Thai peanut sauce can have tons of ingredients, or be as simple as soy sauce (1 tablespoon) and peanut butter (1 tablespoon). You be the judge!
Peanut butter popcorn balls
Popcorn is a great and healthy snack, and adding protein to it makes it complete. Take one tablespoon of peanut butter and roll it into a ball. Next, roll it in popped popcorn. Place the popcorn balls on wax paper, and let stand in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.
Peanut butter and crackers
Peanut butter and crackers is a classic, but instead of the typical Saltines, Ritz or Club crackers, try AK-Mak Crackers. Ak-Mak is made with whole wheat flour and sesame seeds. They have very few ingredients, and all of them you can pronounce.
Peanut butter and other nut butters are a great way to add protein to your diet. Plus, they add many other important nutrients such as fiber, Vitamin E, Folic Acid, Copper and Magnesium to name a few.
Happy Cooking!
Chef Mary
For more great cooking tips, recipes and stories from Chef Mary, visit her blog. To learn more about Chef Mary, check out her Hail Mary’s, Inc. website. Email questions for Ask Chef Mary Fridays to mary@hailmarysinc.com or click the Ask Chef Mary link above.
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The information provided is general information about healthy eating. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice or treatment that may have been prescribed by your physician or other healthcare provider. Always consult a physician before starting any new diet or regimen.
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-cl- 5/13/11
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